Soft Ground and lost shoes.

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Hairy Horror

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As soon as the ground gets softer my horse has a lovely habit of pulling a front shoe, when running around the field.He does have woof wear over reach boots on but they are not always successful. What are your success stories if any? I do not want to go barefoot. Thanks.
 
Speak to your farrier, you may find a mm off the heel is all it takes to stop the horse taking them off. My young horse has had fronts on for the first time and managed to ping both of them off through a combination of unbalance, messing around in the field and the lovely heel length/support the farrier gave her just not being ideal at this point in her development.

Frustrating isn't it !
 
I used duct tape round hoof and two pairs of over reach boots. I also used shoesecure with a pair of over reach boots over the top. Both worked well. MY wb was always loosing a front shoe when he was still being ridden. Now he is retired he hasn't lost one!!
 
Thank you for all your replies, I think I may try the duct tape, he has very strong feet thank god and so far they have always come off clean.
 
I have a similar issue as one of my fields is also on a steep hill, and the best thing I found was to put 2 pairs of overreach boots on, with the outer set being a size bigger than the inners.
 
I have the same problem with one of ours in the winter when it gets properly muddy. Farrier advised overreach boots. Unfortunately he got a small rub from one, ended up blowing up into cellulitus, which meant emergency vet callout.

I am going to try different overreaches this year. I am guessing sheepskin lined ones won't rub but they will be awful in the mud. Are neoprene any better than the rubber ones?

With duct tape, how far down do you use it?

Do shoe secures really work?

Gah I hate shoes!
 
OldNag said:
I have the same problem with one of ours in the winter when it gets properly muddy. Farrier advised overreach boots. Unfortunately he got a small rub from one, ended up blowing up into cellulitus, which meant emergency vet callout.

I am going to try different overreaches this year. I am guessing sheepskin lined ones won't rub but they will be awful in the mud. Are neoprene any better than the rubber ones?

With duct tape, how far down do you use it?




Do shoe secures really work?

Gah I hate shoes!
Click to expand...



Yes shoesecure really work!!

I made sure the duct tape didn't touch his hair at all. I wrapped it round so it covered the bulb of his heel and the back of the shoe. I removed it every night. Then I put a pair of large over reach boots on then a pair of extra large over reach boots on top of those.
 
I have been looking at the shoe secure, I may will ask my farrier about them when he comes to refit the shoe. I use woof wear Kevlar boots and they have never rubbed him.
 
Three things:

1) I'd say straight away that your horses toes need rolling to increase the break over point which will virtually eliminate the chance of her catching her heels with her toes of her hind feet.
2) I'd also put overreach boots on with a layer of Vaseline on the rim to help prevent heel rubs .
3) I would also suggest you use Keratex hoof harderner in the interim to harden the feet.

Most people think that mud 'sucks' shoes off. Unless the horse is standing in quick sand its the process of her feet getting wet that enlarges the nail holes and makes the shoes weak (bit like us sitting too long in the bath and our nails go all soft and spongy). Keratex will help stop the nail holes from enlarging as (from their web site) it works by cross-linking the keratins and proteins within the internal structures of the hooves, making hooves stronger from the inside out. Because it absorbs into the hooves, it will not ‘come off’ in the field, it will continue to work within the hoof whatever the weather and whatever the field conditions.
 
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